Bothered and Bewildered
by illyrilex
Summary: Follow-up to Closed: Halloween night. Mary offers King some interesting advice.


**Real talk: this story was not supposed to happen. It started off as a small "scrap" for my writing page over at tumblr, and, suddenly, it turned in to this. Sorry if you're bored of these events, but I just. Can't. Stop. Like I said before, I will write King until I fucking die.**

 **Onward~!**

* * *

Halloween in Southtown was always an occasion: Haunted houses and historical tours, concerts, and overcrowded parties were always in full swing on the spooky holiday, with most of the festivities beginning the day before. For a bar owner called King, Halloween was the best night of the year.

Until it wasn't.

King gave herself the night off under the pretense that she would be taking her younger brother out to trick-or-treat, but he decided he wanted to go out with his friends instead. A little disappointed (but not entirely surprised), King found herself with literally nothing to do on her favourite holiday. She supposed it would work out for the best, though: she had a lot on her mind, so spending the night by herself, handing out candy to the one or two groups of kids who would attempt to trick or treat in a high rise would probably be a positive thing. She could take some time to try to process what, exactly, happened in the early hours of the morning.

A quick glance out the window told King it would be dark soon, which meant the trick-or-treaters would be out and about in no time. With that in mind she put on a star covered witch hat (it was Halloween, after all), hastily tore open a bag of tiny Three Musketeers bars, and dumped them into a bowl that was decorated with little bats. She grabbed a large handful of the chocolates for herself before placing the bowl on the coffee table, turning on the television (The Nightmare Before Christmas was on) and plopping on to the couch. She slumped down in the seat and started eating the candy.

 _"She's a Killer Queen; gunpowder, gelatin; dynamite with a laser beam…"_

Killer Queen suddenly blared from King's phone, instantly letting her know that her friend, Mary, was calling. She plucked the small gadget from the side table and answered around a mouthful of fun-sized chocolate and nougat.

"Yup."  
"Wow, bb. Try not to sound so excited," Mary's almost babyish voice greeted her.  
"Sorry," King mumbled as she swallowed. She started opening another Musketeers bar. "What's up?"  
"Are you at your aunt's house yet?"  
"No, Jean's trick or treating with his friends this year so there's no reason for me to go over."  
"Oh. Well, what are you doing instead?"  
"Brooding."  
"No Yuri or Mai?"  
"Yuri's off at some college party," King sulked. "And Mai is forcing Andy to watch really fucked up horror movies with her all night. So… here I am."  
"But you love Halloween!"  
"Yep."  
"Okay, that's depressing - I'm coming over," Mary declared.  
"Don't you have plans with Terry?"  
"Not until later. Hey," Mary's tone suddenly changed from affable to suspicious. "Is everything alright?"

King grimaced as she downed one candy and tore open another. She didn't know if she was "alright." She was definitely… something: Confused. Perturbed. Contemplative. Whatever.

"Okay, your silence is telling me -"  
"Oh, no, Mary, I -" King cut her friend off. "I was just -"  
"Nope! Definitely coming over! I'll be there in a few minutes!"

She hung up.

King stared at her phone for a moment before placing it down. She really wasn't sure if she needed or even _wanted_ company, but Mary had already made up her mind, which meant that changing it would be damn near impossible. King crammed another chocolate into her mouth and scowled at the television as she chewed. Maybe the conversation would be light, and she wouldn't have to delve into her feelings too much. Then again, maybe she _needed_ to tell a friend what happened: Get it out, maybe get some perspective.

Not even a full ten minutes later the doorbell rang. King reluctantly rose to her feet and took the bowl with her. She checked the peephole: there was Mary, waiting expectantly. King put the candy down on the floor to begin undoing her locks: the second she pulled the door open the detective jerked her thumb toward a group of trick-or-treaters that was rounding the corner.

"Incoming," was all she said.

The kids, who were dressed in Hogwarts robes and Avengers costumes, sauntered up; some uttered quiet greetings while others silently held their bags out. King made a face as she picked up the bat bowl.

"Happy Halloween," she said as cheerfully as she could while she evenly distributed the candy.  
"Thank you!"

King turned to Mary, who was standing off to the side. The smaller woman held her hand out and flashed a cheeky grin.

"Trick or treat."

King smirked as she deposited some candy into Mary's hand.

"Thank you, bb," Mary sang as she walked inside. She placed her candy on the dining table and shrugged out of her jacket: She draped it across the back of a chair before taking off her holster and badge and placing those on the table as well. She turned to face King, her freckled face screwed up in a thoughtful frown.

"What?" King asked with a quizzical expression.  
"What's bothering you?" Mary responded.  
"Who says I -?"  
"Bb."

King sighed as she set the bowl back on the coffee table. Mary's ability to see straight through her was fucking uncanny.

"Something happened at the bar," King admitted as she moved to the sofa. She sat down next to the pile of shiny silver wrappers she had left behind and grabbed the remote control so she could turn the volume on the television down.

"Okay," Mary responded. "One, what happened, and two, how many of those did you eat?!"  
"A lot," King shrugged; her answer applied to both questions.

Mary sat down in an armchair; she put her feet up over one of the armrests and regarded King with something between concern and wariness.

"So, like, are you gonna follow that statement up or do I have to put you in an armbar and force it out of you?"

King pressed her lips together and took a quick glance at the television. She didn't really want to say it out loud, but she knew that if she didn't Mary would absolutely get it out of her with some nasty submission hold. She took a deep breath, and then:

"I made out with Sally," she groaned miserably.  
"Get the fuck out!" Mary exclaimed as she sat straight up in her seat. " _Sally_!?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Doesn't she have a boyfriend?!"  
"They broke up last week."  
"So… what happened?"  
"I don't know," King removed her hat so she could run a hand through her hair. The short locks fell in front of her eyes, causing her to have to push them out of the way as she put the costume piece back on. "Someone got her drunk -"  
"On the clock?"  
" - and she just…" King gesticulated wildly.  
"What does _that_ mean?"  
"One second she was rubbing my shoulders -"  
"That sounds porn-y."  
" - the next I'm on the table -"  
" _On the table_?!"  
" - and she's on top of me, and… I -"  
"I know that look -" Mary pointed a finger at King - "That's your guilty look. What'd you do?!"  
"I kind of… kissed her back."  
"NO!"  
"...yes."  
"You're her boss!"  
"I _know_."

King felt her cheeks heating up as her face turned an intense shade of scarlet. She put her head in her hands and looked down at the floor. Mary stared at her in disbelief.

"When was this?"  
"Last night. I mean… this morning. Right after closing."  
"Okay, so... you made out with your drunk employee. Were you drunk, too? Or?"  
"I was a little buzzed," King answered.  
"What a shocking abuse of power!" Mary jokingly admonished.  
"What?! That's not -!"  
"Cool it, I'm just messing with you. Did you have to work with her today?"  
"No; she was off."  
"Man, that's gonna be awkward," Mary commented. "When you see each other again?"  
"Tell me about it. We didn't really talk after... She thought I was going to fire her."  
"Pfft, she probably secured herself a lifetime position with that stunt!"  
"Shut up!"

King threw a small pillow at Mary, who caught it with one hand and set it aside while she laughed.

"I'm _kidding_!"

Just then the doorbell rang. King didn't say anything as she stood up and grabbed the candy bowl. She looked through the peephole before pulling the door open.

"Trick or treat!"  
"Hi," King told the cluster of children in front of her, a little concerned that her demeanor came across as insincere. She handed out the candy and waved goodbye before closing the door.

"So, wait," Mary resumed the conversation immediately. "You said she had you on the _table_?"  
"Y-yeah," King stammered as she set the bowl down. She flushed as she recalled the feel of Sally's body against hers.  
"Which table? So I know where not to sit."  
"The one near - wait, seriously?!"

Mary raised her eyebrows.

"I'm not answering that," King replied as she sat down again.  
"Okay, then riddle me this: Did you _like_ it?"  
"What the fuck, Mary?!"  
"I'm not trying to be pervy -" Mary held her hands out in front of her - "but inquiring minds want to know."  
"For what?!"  
"Just answer the question."

King looked away: She thought about her time alone with Sally; her roaming hands and how soft her lips were. She swallowed hard.

"I didn't... _hate_ it," she mumbled.  
"But…?"  
"But… I mean… it's complicated."  
"Because it was Sally?"  
"Well, _yeah_! I don't even feel that way about her. It was wrong!"  
"But oh, so right?"  
" _No_!" King shot back. "It was a mistake. I should have stopped her the second she came near me, but… I don't know! I don't know what the _hell_ I was thinking! And then she was just… on me! And she - my vest, and, I -"  
"Your vest?!" Mary cut in as she leaned forward in her seat.  
"She unbuttoned my vest, and things got a little..."

King trailed off while she tried to find the exact right words to describe what happened. However, Mary was a detective - and a damn good one. She didn't need King to spell it out for her; she already knew. It was because she knew that she threw her head back and let out a loud cackle.

"You got felt up?!"  
"M-maybe a little…!" King's cheeks were surely almost as red as the wine sitting in the fridge.  
"So, wait!" Mary exclaimed. "Sally got all grabby and you didn't Tornado Kick her into next week?!"  
"...no."

Mary jumped to her feet: She walked over to King, grabbed her hands, and started waving them up and down.

"This is _great_!"  
"How so?!"  
"Don't be dense," Mary said as she continued moving King's hands around. "You actually _felt_ something, didn't you?"  
"I guess... it turns out that I'm not dead…?"  
"Exactly! You're not dead! Sally got you all hot and bothered!"

King pulled her hands out of Mary's and quickly covered her face, suddenly embarrassed beyond words. "Hot and bothered" was one way of putting it. The doorbell rang again, saving her for the moment.

"Stay there, I've got it," Mary grinned as she picked up the bowl.  
"Thanks."

King kept her face covered as Mary answered the door and complemented costumes while she gave out the small chocolates. King waited until everything was locked up again before peeking out from between her fingers.

"Don't," she started, her voice muffled. "Don't you dare -"  
"Bro," Mary sat down again. "This is great! You should be overjoyed!"  
"What for? Being put in a horrible position?"  
"Okay, can't argue with that, but don't you get it?"  
"What's there to get?"

King uncovered her face and reached for her pile of candy. Her hand was met with nothing but crumpled up wrappers, which elicited a frown.

"You, my totally platonic lady love, had a moment. A _joyous_ moment where you could have actually had some good, wholesome se -"  
"No," King cut her off. "No, no, no. No. That wasn't an option."  
"Okay, but what if she had been sober?"  
"No! She's an employee!"  
"Okay, what if she had been sober and didn't work for you?"  
"Still no."  
"Okay, but what if she had been sober, didn't work for you, and went for your 'fuck me' button?"  
"She _did_ ," King said as she unconsciously raised a hand to her neck.  
"Whoa! And you didn't - oh. Ohhhhh." Realization dawned on Mary. She gave King a sympathetic look. "Sorry, bb."  
"It's alright."

The two women stopped talking: The only sounds came from the television (it just had to be the scene with _Sally's Song_ , didn't it?) as well as outside of the apartment, where people could be heard loudly walking down the corridor. King readied herself for more trick-or-treaters, but, after a moment, the noise outside died down: It was probably the group from earlier making its way back to the elevator.

"Look," King spoke up. "'Joyous moment' or not, it wasn't right."  
"Yeah, but you keep acting like it was a _bad_ thing. It wasn't! It shows that you can feel again! You should totally get Sally a thank you gift. At the very least, get her a card."  
"Can you imagine?" King rolled her eyes. "'To Sally: Thank you for groping me -'"  
"'And making me horny for the first time since -'"  
"Shut. _Up_!"

King threw the television remote at Mary, who caught it without even looking.

"It's okay to admit it, your majesty! We're both adults here!"

King shot Mary a somewhat irritated look, but she had a point. Besides, who else could she talk to about these things, anyway? Yuri and Mai, of course, but it wasn't the same; there was simply a level of comfort she had around the cop that just didn't exist elsewhere.

That didn't stop her from being flustered as all hell, though. King let out a huge sigh as she sat back against the sofa.

"Why am I like this?"  
"Because you're human. You said it yourself: you're not dead."

King didn't reply.

"Maybe you should - you're probably not gonna like this, but hear me out. Maybe it's time to try…"  
"...what...?"

King had an uncomfortable inkling that she knew exactly where Mary was going. Almost as if on cue, she fluttered her fingers.

"You can't be serious!" King shouted, wide-eyed.  
"Why not?"  
"Be-because…! Why?!"  
"Why do you _think_? If you can't get it on with other people yet, then at the very least you should… practice. Consider it an exercise in -"  
"In what?! Self love?!"

Mary laughed so hard she snorted.

"If that's what you want to call it, sure," she giggled.

King buried her face in her hands again. "It's not that simple. I can't just… _do_ that anymore."  
"Sure you can." Mary stood up. "You know what? I have some homework for you, bb!"  
"Oh, god," King mumbled while she uncovered her face.  
"Go watch some porn - don't make that face - and, you know... work on getting your mojo back."

Mary crossed the room so she could grab her holster and badge. She put them both back on and picked up her jacket.

"I'm serious," she continued casually. "Put a sign on the door that says you're out of candy, feed the cat so he doesn't bother you, and -"  
"We're done. Conversation's over, get the fuck out of my apartment," King said. Her words were a little harsh, though her tone was amicable.  
"Do it," Mary told her matter-of-factly. "I'll see you later."  
"Bye."

As soon as Mary left King slid down on the sofa until her feet pushed the coffee table forward, her thoughts chaotic. She almost couldn't believe where the conversation had gone. Mary might have been on to something, though. Sally's advances had made her feel… stuff. Stuff that she really didn't want to think about but probably had to for the sake of her own sanity.

For the next half hour King paced around the apartment, her hands on the back of her neck. Only one other bunch of trick-or-treaters came by: She distractedly dumped too many chocolates in each bag before bidding the children and their parents goodnight. Once back inside, King looked down into the bowl; even after that there was still some candy left. She placed it down on the dining room table and squinted at it as if it was the most engaging thing in the world. After a long moment she grabbed a piece of paper from the counter, along with a Sharpie, and wrote a quick note declaring that she was cleaned out. She hurriedly taped it outside, locked up, and began pacing around the living room again.

"...Putain," King muttered under her breath. She paced around a little more; there was way too much on her mind, particularly Mary's "homework." She went to the pantry, grabbed the cat food, and poured an almost obscene amount into Marron's bowl, all the while wondering what the fuck she was doing.

King took a deep breath, her mind made up. She walked to her bedroom and shut the door.

* * *

 _Not a lot of notes here:_

 _*Mary's ringtone is by the band Queen. Go see Bohemian Rhapsody and tell me if it's any good._  
 _*Headcanon: Mai makes Andy watch horror movies with her because A) she loves them and B) he's squeamish, so it makes it that much better for her._  
 _*King's neck: mentioned this in Closed, but she's having some issues there._  
 _*Putain: fuck_

 _Okay, that's it. Have fun thinking about naughty stuff now!_


End file.
